VOICE OF THE PEOPLE — August 10, 2019

Mackenzie Myatt, left Matt Kamermans, along with Boomer, dine in the gazebo in the Dartmouth Common on Tuesday August 6, 2019.
- Tim Krochak

Halifax featureless

As I was reading The Chronicle Herald on Aug. 8, I looked at the Lifestyles cover picture titled “Picnic with a View.” What has happened to Halifax? What an industrial scene. Not one iconic building. What a shame! Razing of some of those four-by-four waterfront edifices would be a good start. And plant some trees!

Katarina Junger, Yarmouth

Stealth oyster bid

We have a similar story playing out in Antigonish Harbour. A family-controlled company, Town Point Consulting Inc., with no experience in the domain of fishing or aquaculture, has secured an exclusive option to lease virtually all the frequently travelled waters of Antigonish Harbour and large chunks of adjoining waters. They’re applying for what appears to be one of the largest oyster farming leases in Nova Scotia (158 acres).

Prior to Aaron Beswick’s front-page article on July 30, there’d been zero information about these operations made publicly available either by the applicant or the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Instead of publicly stating his intentions, proponent Ernie Porter has had a series of private, one-on-one meetings and apparently provided only partial and/or inconsistent information from one conversation to another.

The applicant, who has said he is funding this venture in large part with government grants and loans, will use untested equipment and processes and has stated repeatedly that authorities have assured him that he will receive approval of his applications. This raises big questions over either the regulators’ objectivity or the applicant’s veracity.

Lou Bilek, Antigonish

Unifor pro-pollution

Re: “Union warns of huge job losses if mill closes” (Aug. 8). I was gobsmacked to read that Unifor president Jerry Dias is urging Premier Stephen McNeil to “get shovels in the ground immediately and to start to build the water treatment centre” for Northern Pulp — by inference polluting the Northumberland Strait.

I think Mr. Dias has been hanging out with Liberal government officials in Washington during the free-trade talks for too long. BS and bluster may work well in Liberal circles, but it won’t work with Nova Scotians who understand the carnage to wild fish stocks, should Northern Pulp’s proposal go ahead.

My advice to boisterous Jerry is to work on getting the eligible employees a good pension, job retraining and green energy jobs, should Northern Pulp not meet the conditions and /or deadlines set by government. Mr. Dias, pollution is not the answer, and you should be ashamed for advocating so.

Darrell Tingley, Chester

Cinematic scenery

Nova Scotia’s natural beauty offers economic benefits during tourism season, albeit short-lived. In light of increased opposition to natural resource projects, it’s time to put our scenery to better use. Bring the motion picture and television industry back to the province!

If we restored the original film tax credit to entertainment companies, they could take advantage of numerous panoramas and quaint hideaways to produce stunning film epics. In turn, they’d create well-paid, clean jobs for locals as well as inject local economies with cash.

Companies will establish bases here once they see a long-term future and friendly people. If we are to reject “slag heaps,” then let’s replace them with cameras, lights and rental trailers!

Malcolm Macpherson, Valley

Kick plastic habit

It’s terrific that Sobeys is planning to ban plastic bags. I will shop there more often!

Now, what to do with paper at the curb? I once tried putting my newspapers in a bag other than a plastic retail one (it was a very clean garden mulch one) and it was ignored on collection day. Back into the Sobeys bag they went and then they were picked up again.

Is HRM willing to change things? Perhaps reusable household bins for paper and recyclables like those in other cities, to be used when weather permits. Other ideas? Also, we will still be using the large plastic blue bags for recyclables, and in streetside garbage cans, the trash is still expected to be in plastic bags. In apartments and condos, garbage goes into plastic bags before being tossed into their large bins.

This all must be taken back to the drawing board. Sobeys is willing to help, but what are we, through our city council, willing to do?